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After 2,000-plus Christmases, the reindeer need a break, so Santa's scuttling his sleigh for the South Sound leg of his trip this holiday season in favor of something a bit more high-tech: the railroad. Passengers aboard the 47th Annual "Santa Train" at the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie will get to
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Now that the holidays are approaching, the pressure is on to find the perfect presents for your friends, work colleagues, family members and yes, even frenemies. Consider experiencing downtown Tacoma for your shopping options. Tacoma's downtown offers an eclectic smattering of small businesses, museums, restaurants and the UW-Tacoma campus. Here
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Nothing brings a family closer than a tradition, and the cutting of the annual Christmas tree is one such custom. "The cutting of a real Christmas tree is a real tradition," said David Armstrong, owner of the 12-acre Glenwood Christmas Tree Farm, as he stood in a clean and spacious gathering
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Every year, people sit down and write out their holiday wish lists. They ask for all sorts of things, even the most absurd things. But people may not think of asking for simple yet practical gifts like gift cards. These types of gifts come in handy for students, friends and
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Ah, Christmas! The season of shopping and traffic and shopping and cooking and shopping and wrapping and on and on and on. If the Christmas craziness is getting to you, maybe it's time to put everything on hold for a day or two and get away from it all. Starting Dec.
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Everyone is familiar with the Charles Dickens' holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. The story has inspired countless versions and renditions for decades, ranging from storybook retellings to Hollywood blockbusters starring beloved favorites like Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman. This holiday season, the renowned favorite can be viewed on stage at
Arts
Jason Sobottka is a fascinating painter. It's tempting to label his paintings fantasy art, but that would be too easy. There are fantasy elements aplenty, but there is much more to it than that. He paints fantasy creatures and mythological creatures, and he paints common animals such as dogs, rabbits
Stage
With lots of schmaltz and lots of good cheer, live theater in the South Sound is gearing up for holiday shows.Lakewood Playhouse. The most touching, feel-good holiday show of all time is coming to Lakewood Playhouse this season. You've seen it in countless reruns on TV and probably shed a
Features
Despite being a state capital noted for artisanal spirit and cultural diversity, Olympia struggles to birth and maintain what food connoisseurs refer to as "destination dining." Indisputably great restaurants, meaning eateries capable of drawing gastronomes away from Seattle, Portland or even Tacoma, are few and far between. That's why it
Outdoors
It's that time of year again! Time to strap on your ice skates and head to downtown Tacoma to show off your best moves. CHI Franciscan Polar Plaza is back again and is quite possibly the perfect complement for your downtown holiday experience. Now in its sixth year, this temporary
News
To say the military influenced the South Sound's growth is like saying Gen. Grant influenced the outcome of the Civil War. Joint Base Lewis-McChord has served as the major military hub in our area since the waning days of World War I. Collaborating with Seattle, our shipyards built over 100
News
AT&T, an international corporation providing Internet connection, mobile phone service and pay TV world wide, affirmed their support for veterans and active-duty military by announcing a $30,000 donation to Heartbeat Serving Wounded Warriors and the Back in the Saddle Warriors program at Healing Hearts Ranch, Nov. 10. According to Marianne Bichsel,
Military Life
The leaves are now turning stunning shades of orange and red before they fall to the ground. The next few weeks will undoubtedly fly by, as they always seem to do this time of the year. The winter will creep up and hints of snow and frost will be in
Archives
Hippest un-boutique Walking in the door of urbanXchange is like walking into the biggest clothing closet ever. If everything the store carried were my size, I’d be insta-broke. Hats, shoes, pants, sashes, skirts, shirts, wraps, coats, yup, just pull the truck up out front and start loading. Since this is mere fantasy,
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Thursday, Oct. 18: Four California Wines and One Lovely French Tasting, 5-8 p.m., $5, Vin Grotto Cafe and Wine Bar, 813 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.722.5079. Thursday, Oct. 18: Singles Wine Tasting, 7-9 p.m., Katie Downs, 3211 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253.756.0771. Thursday, Oct. 18: Fall Stock-up sale Tasting, 5:30-8:30 p.m., complimentary, Pour At
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Funny how taste can trigger memories. A sip of Bordeaux and you’re shopping Saint Germain; a pint of Guinness and your semester abroad comes flooding back; just a drop of tequila and . . . well, that was your 21st birthday, and you haven’t touched the stuff since. When I
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Where there is food, there are relationships. Many of us eat at our local café or restaurant and have stronger relationships with our favorite server than we do with our own sibling(s). I know I do (this is a test for my sister Kim to see if she reads my
Archives
The owners of the defunct Blue Olive are behind Bella Vita. They were stylish down on Dock Street and haven’t lost a step here. Smooth sounds of old-timey jazz crooners greet you as walk in the door. To the right, a wooden dance floor (covered with tables on a Sunday
People Rule
When running in a race with more than 19,000 in Washington, D.C., finishing in the top 30 would usually be a great accomplishment. Captain Nicole Solana, flight surgeon with the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, was disappointed in her time of 3:13:58 — good for the 30th
